Judge Puts Mueller Prosecutor In His Place, Tells Him To Stop Disrespecting Him

(Reuters) – The judge overseeing the trial of Paul Manafort, the former campaign chairman of U.S. President Donald Trump, had a terse exchange with a federal prosecutor on Monday over how to handle evidence regarding Ukrainian oligarchs that paid Manafort.

Rick Gates, a longtime business associate of U.S. President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, on Monday testified that he helped Manafort file false tax returns and hide his foreign bank accounts.

Gates is the government’s star witness in its case against Manafort, who is accused of bank and tax fraud. Gates, who also served on Trump’s campaign, pleaded guilty in February and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors under a deal that could lead to a reduced sentence.

Taking the stand on the trial’s fifth day, Gates admitted to helping Manafort doctor financial statements, hide foreign income and cheat on his taxes. He said he was aware Manafort was acting as an unregistered foreign agent in lobbying for Ukraine. He said he engaged in the wrongdoing at Manafort’s direction.